Evil-Lyn's Quest
by Aidan J S Cross
Summary: When Evil-Lyn realises her love for Prince Adam is still intact, despite their differences, she sets out to capture Teela and Marlena, who prevented her from having Adam back in her days at the palace. For she knows a little more about Adam than most othe


Evil-Lyn's Quest.  
by Aidan Cross

Part 1.

In the depths of Snake Mountain, a demonic warlord was raging like a lunatic. Skeletor, the Lord of Destruction, had finally reached the peak of madness after his countless failed attempts to take over Castle Grayskull and the planet Eternia. The sunken eyes in his fleshless skull blazed bright red as he bellowed at his servants.  
"Why do I have to be surrounded by idiots?!" he was shouting, shaking his fists in rage. His deep voice echoed throughout the evil stronghold as he shouted. "If not for you I would have taken over Eternia within weeks! Why do you have to let me down so badly?!! Why?!!"  
He thrust his menacing glare into the face of his hairy henchman, Beast Man, one of the first warriors he had recruited since his arrival on Eternia. Beast Man was the strongest of his warriors- but even his strength, and his power over animals, had proved to be no match for the heroic army of Eternia.  
Beast Man was not afraid. He returned the angry glare at his master. "How many times have I told you, Skeletor?!" he growled in fury. "It is not my fault that you keep failing! It is simply that the heroic warriors are stronger than us- though I hate to admit it myself!"  
"You take too many risks, Beast Man!" screamed Skeletor. "How many times have I warned you about the consequences if you say such things about your master?!"  
Beast Man laughed hollowly. "You've told me the consequences so many times I've lost count. And many times over the past few years have I said things against you- and you've never actually done anything! I'm still alive as ever- and some day, you shall not boss me about!"  
Skeletor took out his havoc staff, and fired a blast of power at Beast Man. It hit Beast Man's right leg, blowing him off his feet and sending him flying across the room. "You fool!" he screamed. "How can you dare to say such things to the Lord of Destruction?!"  
Beast Man got back to his feet with ease, baring his gruesome fangs angrily. "Because you've never done anything worse to me that blast me with that stupid staff!" he growled. "And no matter what you think, I am not afraid of you!" He shook his hairy fist at his master violently.  
"That does it!" screamed Skeletor. "I will wreak upon you torture beyond all the imagination of mankind!"  
"Oh yes?" said Beast Man. "Well just have a look at the kind of torture that I am capable of!" he dived into the shadows, and pulled out the grossly mutilated corpse of a man, dripping with blood.  
Beast Man took a huge bite out of the arm of the corpse, and chewed on it wildly. Then he said "I will inflict this torture upon you if you are not careful! But I shall waste no more time with you- I am returning to the jungle! Somewhere where I am the boss- and a worthy boss too!" Dragging the corpse behind him, he stomped out of the room.  
Skeletor raised his arms up above his head, and let out a blood-curdling scream, so terrifying that each warrior in the room froze in terror.  
Then he looked down at the remaining warriors, and glared at them with hatred. Merman, the ocean warlord, was shrunk into a corner, speechless. Trap Jaw seemed tense, with his arm gun half-raised, as if he expected his master to attack him at any moment. The other two warriors, Tri-Clops and Evil-Lyn, seemed almost unshaken by their master's anger. Tri-Clops was almost motionless- Skeletor preferred to think it was with fear, but he knew that this was the way his master spy usually was. And Evil-Lyn gazed at Skeletor in pity with her beautiful, yet dark and foreboding eyes.  
Skeletor thrust his bony face into the large eye on the front of Tri-Clops' helmet, from out of which the spy saw. "How do you expect to help me defeat the forces of good, when you just stand there without saying a word?!" he shouted angrily.  
"Not long ago you said I was one of your most trusted warriors." the spy said, calmly.  
"Yes….. but I did not mean that you are by any means a worthwhile servant! Just that you are minorly better than the other idiots who surround me!" he seized Tri-Clops by the shoulders, and pulled him close violently. "HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO HELP ME CONQUER ETERNIA?!!!! YOU FOOL!"  
Evil-Lyn was not having this. Her master had been driven thoroughly insane by his failure to take over Eternia. She pulled Tri-Clops back, and stepped up towards Skeletor.  
"Skeletor." she said gently, laying her delicate hands on his shoulders. "You need to calm down. By acting this way, you are only making the situation worse. Your quest to take over Eternia has proved harder than you had imagined- but it is time you accepted that it is a difficulty that we must face. And you should take it as easily as possible. If you lose your temper like this, you will not think straight, and your schemes will be flawed from the start. Just remember what happened at the Intergalactic Freak Show-"  
"SILENCE!" bellowed Skeletor, violently thrusting Evil-Lyn away from him. "I thought you were good to me as a servant- but you are no better than the rest! Leave this place at once!!! Someone of my skills does not deserve to be surrounded by fools such as yourself!"  
Evil-Lyn stepped back in shock. This was the first time that Skeletor had ever said anything so bad about her. He had never even used physical violence upon her before. They had always been such close allies….. and now he was treating her like any of his other servants. She turned around abruptly, and left the room.  


Part 2.

The evil warrior goddess retreated to her magic chamber. She sat down at her table, where all her spell books and magical equipment lay. She had barely settled in her room when there was a knock at the door.  
"Come in." she said gently. The door opened, and Tri-Clops, Merman and Trap Jaw entered.  
"We had to leave his chamber." said Merman. "We couldn't stand him any longer."  
"It's just so fucking ridiculous." said Trap Jaw. He took out a can of lager from his belt, opened it, and poured a swig down into his metal mouth. "I was one of the first warriors he recruited. Actually, I was joint first, with Tri-Clops. He was a good master then- he actually thought before carrying out his schemes. But the way he is now- he's just a mad dictator, basically. We're not half as bad as he thinks- I've never done anything to let him down. If he keeps on this way, he'll have no chance of winning, because he doesn't think any more. He'll only contribute to his own defeat. I'm wasting my time with him….. I might jack in this fuckin' job soon." "My thoughts exactly, Trap Jaw." said Evil-Lyn.  
"What exactly happened at the Intergalactic Freak Show, anyway?" asked Merman.  
"I don't know exactly, I wasn't there." said Evil-Lyn. "You'd have to ask Beast Man, he was. I think Skeletor thought the freaks were gonna join his army because he thought they were monsters….. but since they're just normal humans within their deformities, they only helped He-Man beat him. Skeletor barely thought before carrying out that scheme… he doesn't like to be reminded of it."  
"If you ask me, Skeletor's the only idiot round here." said Tri-Clops. "At least we all think. You wanna come out for a drink, Evil-Lyn?"  
"I'd like to, but I really need time to myself." she replied.  
"That's okay." the spy replied. "I'm off to the bar now. Guess I need some time alone too. Just call me if you need anything." he smiled- one of the few times that this solemn warrior ever did smile.  
"I sure will." Evil-Lyn replied, returning the smile. Tri-Clops departed, then Trap Jaw said "Merman and I will find somewhere quiet to relax. I'm not wasting any more time around here. I just hope Skeletor gets bumped off soon, so you can take over the army."  
"I don't know…" she said, "anyway, see you soon."  
Trap Jaw and Merman departed, leaving Evil-Lyn on her own. Maybe Trap Jaw was right, she thought. At the present moment, she probably would make a better leader than Skeletor. But she knew it was unlikely to happen. The trouble was, she was loyal to Skeletor. As much as he had been annoying her of late, she was devoted to him. She could not leave to form her own army, as that would be unfaithful to Skeletor….. he would never let her take over temporarily….. the only way she could ever take over would be if he was killed- but she was sure that she would need Skeletor nearby her no matter what her position was. They had proved to be exceptionally good allies….. and she would just feel kind of lost without him.  
Although she did not respect him much at the present moment, for what he had just done to her, deep inside, she felt sorry for him. When he had come to Eternia to conquer it, he had been sure it would be a perfectly easy task that would take him a matter of weeks at the most. But then He-Man had stepped in after being granted the power of Grayskull….. and it had been all downhill from there. Skeletor had now failed countless times, and it had driven him to madness. He was now little more than a psychotic maniac, and he barely even thought before carrying out a scheme- which was why they had no chance of succeeding. His attempt to recruit freaks into his army at the Intergalactic Freak Show had been his most flawed scheme ever, and he had only ended up looking a fool, and felt humiliated by it. And it had only helped to contribute to his degenerating mental health. And another thing that had driven him more insane recently was the discovery that his old sidekick, Xazrog, now known as Hordak, ruled the planet of Etheria in the way that Skeletor wanted to rule Eternia. And even worse, there was a female version of He-Man on this planet, in the form of She-Ra, princess of power.  
Skeletor had treated most of his warriors badly for a long time, but Evil-Lyn had always been the most respected….. but now it had reached the point where he treated her just like all the others- as a mere fool. She felt very uncomfortable with the situation.  
But she still respected him deep inside. She remembered the day she had first met him….. picking up her crystal ball, she gazed inside at the events of her past. She saw herself in the Royal Palace of Eternos City, when she was a mere ordinary young girl called Evelyn, who worked as a servant for the King and Queen, and was good friends with Queen Marlena. She had fallen desperately in love with Prince Adam, and had been disappointed to find that his attentions were set solely on Teela. Jealous, she had instantly turned against Teela and been incredibly rude to her, whilst desperately trying to win the Prince's affections. She had remembered an old Eternian tradition, that the King and Queen should choose the appropriate partner for the Prince or Princess, and she had asked Queen Marlena if she could let Adam have her. But the Queen had sensed Adam's affection for Teela, and had refused to go by the old tradition, saying it was outdated and restrictive. Marlena had said it was up to Adam who he chose- and this quickly turned into an argument, resulting in Evelyn lashing out at the Queen and attacking her. She had been dragged away by the palace guards, before being told she could never have Adam, now that she had assaulted the Queen. She had angrily stormed out into the streets….. where she came across Skeletor, as he enacted his first ever assault on Eternos.  
He had declared that he was out to terminate the King and Queen's rule. She had taken advantage of this to get revenge on Marlena… and had approached him and pledged her services. She knew that at the time he saw her as just a mere girl, but had taken her on anyway, just so he could have all the help that was possible in his early days. Back at Snake Mountain, she had quickly got to know him well, as he taught her the skills of sorcery… making her the most powerful evil sorceress on Eternia. And she had been enticed by him… charmed by him… soothed by him… despite his gruesome face, she had fallen for him, with his position of immense power… all her love for the Prince had quickly faded, and she soon became Skeletor' s most trusted servant, and had been that way ever since.  
And she knew she could never betray him when they had worked so closely together….. yet it was hard for her when he was so angry that even her charm could not soothe him. But as she watched all those distant memories in her crystal ball, she realised that those murderous instincts she had felt towards Marlena and Teela were fast returning. Surely she could not still have some affection for Prince Adam? She had thought it ridiculous for a long time that she could ever have loved anyone who had a reputation for being weak….. in her early days with the evil warriors, Beast Man, Merman and Trap Jaw had often mocked her for having loved the Prince. She had taken a quick liking to Tri-Clops, as he was the only one who hadn't mocked her to begin with. The taunts had faded along with her feelings for the Prince… but at the present moment, her thirst for revenge on Marlena and Teela was returning. She gazed at the image of Prince Adam as it appeared in the crystal ball….. she used her magic to pause on that image, as if operating a video.  
The Prince was, she had to admit, handsome and dignified in appearance. She knew about his reputation as a coward, and how he had disappointed King Randor so often….. but she had initially fallen for him after a conversation in which he had spoken of a thirst for adventure and action. At that time, he had seemed so brave, and she admired it….. but most would say that was out-of-character for the Prince, and would disbelieve her. As she gazed at this image, recounting this memory, she felt her sexual impulses rise. She clearly still had some feeling for him. She thought again of Skeletor… no! She was uncomfortable with him at the present moment. She did not want his company. Deep inside, she knew that there was more to the Prince than most people thought….. she did not know what was up, but something inside her was giving her the irresistible urge to find out more. And to wreak belated revenge on Teela and Marlena.  
She shot to her feet abruptly, and left Snake Mountain.  


Part 3.

At the Royal Palace of Eternos City, Prince Adam was on a high. He danced around his bedroom ecstatically to the sound of 'Eternos After Midnight', one of the biggest Eternian rock bands. He was feeling high after several recent wonderful experiences….. the unforgettable day out at the Intergalactic Freak Show, when Teela had finally seemed to respect him properly. Her words stuck clearly in his mind- "you're not a bad person at all, Adam! No matter what I say about you!" She had never been so complimentary towards him before. Never when he was in the form of Adam, anyway. She had shown on that day that she liked him a lot, despite the way he appeared to be so weak and cowardly. If she still liked him like that, she would be REAL impressed when she found out about how brave he really was. If only he could tell her! He was bursting to! He was going to have to let it out soon….. even if it meant defying the rules of Grasykull! He leapt into the air with ecstasy as the sound of the music exploded into a crescendo.  
The other amazing thing that had recently happened in his life was his visit to Etheria and his discovery that he had a sister….. Princess Adora, who had now begun to defend her planet as She-Ra. He was itching to see her again, along with Carlos, Glimmer and the other friends he had made on Etheria. He had accomplished much of his mission on Etheria in the form of Adam….. and now his father was thinking more highly of him, finally giving him the praise he deserved. His reputation in the form of Adam was fast improving….. things were finally looking up for him. And of course, Teela's opinion of him seemed to be getting higher after this too….. even though she had jokingly accused She-Ra of copying her hair dye!  
Looking out of his window onto the great city of Eternos, its gleaming, lustrous towers illuminated by the sunlight, he saw Teela down in the guards ' training bay, training the guards with their weapons. As his sexual instincts went haywire, he knew he had to go down and watch her. He loved this girl, he had to spend more time with her!  
He waited for the current track to finish, then he turned off his music system and speedily descended down the staircase, down to the guards' training bay.  
As Teela trained the guards, Adam sat down on a bench to watch her. She saw him, smiled, and left the guards to train on while she went to speak to Adam.  
"How are you then, Adam?" she said. "Haven't seen you much today!"  
"I feel just brilliant!" Adam replied.  
"Hey, you sure do seem on a high today! What's happened?"  
"Things are just going pretty well!" he replied. "My dad isn't moaning about me so much. I seem to have….. proved myself to some extent!"  
"Well, yeah, you sure have done some good things of late! I can't wait to meet Adora again, I'd like to know her a bit better. And I guess you're glad that I haven't been moaning at you?"  
"Well….." he struggled for words, not wanting to sound rude.  
"Don't worry!" she laughed. "I won't be offended, just be honest!"  
"Well, it's a relief that you haven't lost your temper with me."  
She threw her head back in laughter, and said "I bet it is! Anyway, I've become more open-minded lately….. I think it's our visit to the Intergalactic Freak Show that's done me good. Even though I had to deal with Skeletor there, that was my best day out in ages. Befriending those freaks just showed me that a person's appearance doesn't mean they're a bad person….. and it's like your apparent laziness doesn't make you a bad person either. And I'll probably moan at you again….. but you don't know how many times I've regretted my aggressiveness after moaning at you. You see, I know you always run and hide when danger threatens….. but I've realised, I sort of like it. It's part of who you are, and….. you've still got so many qualities. You're a great person to be with, it's just….. I've never really said it."  
Adam smiled. He must have been way too paranoid for the past two years….. convinced that she actually hated him at times. "But you'd prefer me if I was like He-Man, though?" he said.  
"Well, I guess that wanting you to be like He-Man is asking a bit much….. but maybe you could be a bit more like my father, I mean, he's not tremendously strong, but he's a great warrior. I still think you've a long way to go before you become a warrior, but whether you ever do or not….. it' s not like I'll ever hate you."  
Her words were a great relief to him. But he was so desperately eager to tell her that he WAS a warrior, he actually WAS He-Man. What would she think? If she liked him for the way he was, perhaps she'd like him less if she found out he was He-Man?"  
"Teela…" he began, "what would you do if you found out that I was, actually, em… stronger than you thought, and braver? Would you….." he broke off before he could finish. He couldn't think of a good way to ask it without giving away too much.  
"I'm sure that maybe you are a little stronger than I thought. But if I did find out you were more of a warrior than I realised, I'd sure be impressed….. you'd have put on a brilliant act at least! And I guess that in the end, it's not strength that matters….. but personality."  
Another relief. He was even more determined to reveal his secret. "But….. you like He-Man better than me, don't you? I mean, is this just because he' s stronger?"  
"Well….. no, I mean, I don't exactly like He-Man better than you….. I like you both, you're both very good company. I don't like He-Man just because he's strong, 'cause if he was arrogant and pretentious, I'd never like him. He's just….. a true hero. He's unbelievable. And such a nice and charming person too….. this sort of person is so hard to find."  
Adam wished to the gods that she could realise she was saying all this about him. He could tell that she wouldn't feel annoyed about him hiding his true identity from her….. she would probably only fall head-over-heels in love with him. He was so tempted to tell her his whole secret this very instant….. but he couldn't! What would the Sorceress say?  
But he had to spend more time with this girl. He enjoyed no-one's company better than hers. "Teela…" he said, "do you want to come out into the city with me?"  
"Why, sure thing." she replied. "This session's nearly over. I'll leave the guards to train in their own time." She turned back to the guards. "Okay, this session's done!" she said. "Train in your own time if you wish."  
The guards saluted her, and then she left, with Prince Adam, his mind consumed with love and ecstasy.  


Part 4.

Evil-Lyn made her way down the streets of Eternos City, which were incredibly busy at this time. It was usually unsafe for evil warriors to walk down city streets undisguised, but with the amount of people around the place, no-one recognised her. She still could not explain what strange force had driven her here….. she just had to have her revenge on Teela and Marlena. She found it ridiculous that she, being an evil warrior goddess, could feel any affection for a good-natured Prince who wasn't even a warrior. But she couldn't help but keep thinking about that night they had spent together….. what he had said about his longing for adventure….. there was something about him that people did not realise. She had to find out what it was.  
As she reached the beautiful, gleaming palace of Eternia, towering above the other magnificent buildings of this articulate city, she sat down on a street bench to plan her moves. She knew she could not make a straight entry to the palace- she would be arrested straight away. She could go in disguise….. but she'd had it with disguises. She couldn't even think of a good excuse to get in.  
She stared down at the brightly coloured birds hopping over the ground, as the people threw food for them. She looked over at the band by the fountain, busking an Eternos After Midnight song. She looked over at the huge crowd of people queuing up at the Eternos Cinema, an elegant building shimmering with light, to see the movie premiere of "Tamask", a film about the legendary king of ancient Eternia. She scanned the enormous crowd of people. Maybe Prince Adam was amongst them.  
Walking over to the busking band, she took a gold piece from her pocket and dropped it into the case before them. "Cheers, girl." said the lead singer, as he finished playing.  
"That's always been a favourite song of mine." Evil-Lyn said. "I was a fan of Eternos After Midnight in their early days, though I don't own any of their more recent albums."  
"You ought to try 'em out." the singer said. "There's some pretty good stuff on 'em. We're gonna do one next by this band from Earth, you know any Earth bands?"  
"No. I never think too fondly of Earth, because, well….. someone I don't like much came from there."  
"Who was that? The Queen?! Hey, don't feel ashamed to admit it. Not everyone likes the monarchy. Anyway, we just heard of this band the other day, 'cause we tuned into Radio Universe, that plays music from all over the place. The lead singer shot himself apparently….. they're called Nirvana, this song's called Smells Like Teen Spirit."  
"Go ahead." she said. "Should be pretty good."  
The lead singer smiled, and struck the first chords of the song on his guitar. Evil-Lyn went and sat on a bench opposite the band. And just then, she saw two other people approaching the band. It was Prince Adam and Teela. Just two of the people she was looking for. But she was in danger of being seen….. she shot up abruptly and dived behind a large plant pot, to observe them unseen.  
"Hey, I'm sure I've heard my Mum playing that song!" Adam said as he passed the band.  
"Is it an Earth one?" Teela asked.  
"Yes," said Adam, "Nirvana I think it is. It's pretty good, actually." He walked over to the band, and dropped a gold piece into their case. The band stopped playing for a second, the singer shouted, "Thank you, your highness!" then they came back into the song furiously.  
Adam and Teela walked on, observed in secret by Evil-Lyn. Although she still found it ridiculous that she could have any feelings for Adam, she just could not stand the sight of Teela with him. She wanted to jump out and attack….. but she could not do that, when the street was so busy. She had no choice but to remain hidden.  
Adam was humming along with the song as he and Teela walked on down the street. "Let's get something to eat in that Cybercafe there." said Adam, pointing to the Cyberworld café nearby.  
"That's great!" said Teela. "I've always meant to go in there since it was opened!" they moved on, towards the café. As they neared the entrance, Evil-Lyn felt safe to emerge from behind the plant pot. She got to her feet and followed them.  
She looked through the window of Cyberworld. Adam and Teela were seated at a table with drinks. Looking straight into Adam's eyes, Evil-Lyn could see the thirst for romance in them. He hadn't changed a bit. He was taking Teela around as his girlfriend. Evil-Lyn found herself consumed with envy and anger….. but how could she feel like this about the Prince! For evil's sake, she was a bloodthirsty bitch and here she was, lusting after this young pretty-boy….. they wouldn't even look right together! Yet some force within her was driving her towards him….. she could not resist it. She quickly dived inside the café, hiding herself amongst a stream of visitors pouring in. Adam and Teela did not notice her as she went past.  
Evil-Lyn sneaked into a small space by the counter. On the wall she saw a small, red button, and above it was a label saying "PRESS IN EMERGENCY ONLY". She took her chance, and punched the button hard. A loud series of beeps was heard throughout the building, and a large computerized sign flashed with the words "EVACUATE BUILDING AT ONCE". Instantly, the people in the café began to run for the door like mad….. and before they could arise, Evil-Lyn threw her paralysis ray out at Adam and Teela. But it only hit Teela….. Adam went running from the café, no doubt thinking Teela was right behind him. But Teela instantly froze as she was trapped in Evil-Lyn' s force field. But the rest of the people were too busy running to notice, and scattered out of the café. Evil-Lyn moved closer to her captive. Once the café was empty, she cast a spell and teleported herself and Teela away. To Evil-Lyn's chamber, within Snake Mountain. Once there, she let Teela free from her force field. She had wanted to capture Adam too….. but Teela was enough.  
"You fiend." Teela said, shaking her fists. "What have you brought me here for?"  
"I have brought you here….." said Evil-Lyn, "…..to wreak revenge upon you….. long awaited revenge!"  


Part 5.  
"I don't get what you mean." said Teela, as she stared across the room at the evil warrior goddess, dressed in elegant black and purple. "What revenge? What have I done to you lately?"  
"It's not 'lately'." Evil-Lyn replied. "Do you remember those years when I was a good girl? Working at the palace?"  
"Of course I do." Teela replied, glaring in spite at Evil-Lyn. "How can I forget what a bitch you were."  
Evil-Lyn laughed. "Yeah, I was a bitch alright. But only because you were, Teela. Walking around the damn place as if you owned it. All you were was the captain of the king's guard."  
"Excuse me, but that's a perfectly decent position!" Teela snapped back. "I was the first female captain ever, and was officially declared the strongest woman ever in the palace! You were just jealous of me!"  
"It wasn't that I was jealous….. it was just that the job wasn't fit for a bitch such as yourself. The way you took it when you were granted that position….. as if it made you a goddess or something. I remember watching you and thinking, what a slag. You were so arrogant."  
"I damn well-" Teela began, but broke off in mid-sentence. Evil-Lyn was partially right here. Teela's success in training had gone to her head at that time….. she was only 18 at the time, and had received constant praise from her father, the King and Queen, and countless citizens of Eternos. And she HAD become somewhat arrogant.  
Evil-Lyn laughed in mockery at Teela. "See? You can't even deny it yourself. Remember the way you spoke to Prince Adam that day?"  
The memory instantly struck back. After she had been presented the title of captain of the guard, Adam had come up to her to congratulate her. And she had replied by saying "Well don't think that you'll ever get this far. You may be the Prince, but a lazy slob like you, who lacks ambition, has no chance of achieving anything worthwhile. You probably won't ever become King!"  
This had been in front of both Randor and Marlena, the whole of the King's army, and all the noblemen and important officials of the city who had attended the occasion. She could clearly remember the King's words… "Perhaps you need a lesson in humility." And she had never felt more embarrassed. She had believed for some time that her reputation had declined in the city after that, even though nowadays it seemed all but forgotten.  
And this arrogance she had demonstrated had probably been what had got Prince Adam convinced that she hated him. She was afraid to think of how bad he must have felt! She had gone way over the top with her arrogance at the time….. Evil-Lyn was right. She had been a bitch. And there had been many occasions since, when she had said insulting things to Prince Adam….. but he wasn't a bad person at all. He had never said anything against her….. and although he had never admitted it, she could sense that he loved her. She hung her head in shame and guilt. How could she treat someone who liked her so much like this? And especially since he had loved her in spite of all the things she'd said to him….. she had been a bitch. She hated herself for it. And now she was craving to be with Prince Adam again, just so she could make it all up to him and show him that she really never meant it.  
She felt embarrassed to admit how bad she had been in front of Evil-Lyn, but she remembered something He-Man had said a while back….. that one of the greatest forms of bravery is to admit that you made a mistake and to do something about it. So she looked up at Evil-Lyn, and said "You're right. I have been a bitch."  
Evil-Lyn threw her head back in laughter. Teela felt deeply humiliated….. but at least she knew that He-Man would be impressed if he could see her now.  
"So, you finally admit to it." said Evil-Lyn. "So you deserve a cruel fate at my hands!"  
"Don't dream of going that far." she scowled. "However bad I might have been, just think of the way you treated me. When there was all that fuss about Adam, remember? The only reason you hated me so much in the first place was because you loved him, and he loved me."  
  
Evil-Lyn stepped closer to her hated rival. At last the topic had reached the area that Evil-Lyn was most keen to discuss….. the quarrel between the two over Prince Adam, whom Evil-Lyn obviously still had feelings for, in spite of their differences.  
"Yes….." she said, "but it wasn't just because he loved you and not me that I hated you. It was because you were so obnoxious towards him….. how could he still love you after all that you'd said to him? I don't know how he couldn't have hated you to extremes! You had been so bad towards him, and I had been so good to him….. yet he loved you. It just didn't make sense." "The reason why he loved me was because he'd grown up with me. We were always close, and he admired me….. he would not let what I'd said to him get in his way. Only I never realised it….. I was just too closed-minded." "Then why did he love you?!"  
"I've already said! Because of how close he had been to me, and was sure we could still be friends! And anyway, how could he love you after all the things you did to me through your jealousy?! You sneaked into my bedroom and ripped apart all my best dresses! Every time I opened my mouth, you'd say something that clashed with what I said….. your jealousy was made too damn obvious!"  
"But Teela….." Evil-Lyn said, "have you ever been in love?"  
Teela paused and thought of He-Man. "Yes." she replied.  
"Then you know what it must be like. You become obsessed with the person of your desires. And that's how I was with Prince Adam. I was so obsessed that I was driven to insanity. I even went to extreme lengths to get him to like me!"  
"Yes….." Teela said, "such as dressing like me."  
"Exactly." Evil-Lyn replied. "I know it was pretty stupid….. but like I said, I had been driven insane. I bought these clothes that were just like yours….. except they were darker in colour. Purple is the colour of sexual arousal….. and that's why I chose these clothes. I figured he'd be attracted to me because the clothes were the same as yours but with sexually stimulating colours. They didn't work though."  
"He could never possibly have been attracted to someone who tried to get his attention by copying the woman he loved! You even had your hair styled just like me!"  
"Yes….." Evil-Lyn said, and removed her helmet, to reveal her long, black hair curled up just like Teela's usual style, held in place by a tiara. "I know it was stupid that I should have copied you so much….. but I was in love."  
Teela was about to mock her….. but then she stopped, and gave it some thought. If she saw another woman with He-Man, she would feel jealous. And if she was driven to insanity, maybe she would do just what Evil-Lyn did….. it was stupid, alright- but that was what being in love did to people. It drove them insane.  
"Of course, I've improved my image since joining Skeletor." Evil-Lyn said. She brushed her hands against the exotic jewellery that decorated her clothes, and said "I think this jewellery is way better. I should have worn this all along….. my parents were from the Golden Isles, after all." Then she swept her hand through the newly-dyed purple streaks in her hair. "And these streaks go with my clothing….. if only I'd had these then."  
"They still wouldn't have attracted Adam." said Teela. "I can see your point about being driven insane by love….. but there's no excuse for what you did. The way you lashed out at the Queen when she refused to force Adam to have you was just totally unacceptable. So I may have been a bitch at times….. but you were the biggest bitch of all in the end. And then you joined Skeletor….. you are an evil bitch. There's no doubt about it." "I am indeed evil….." Evil-Lyn said, "but I see nothing bad about it. I have most enjoyed being in service to Skeletor, even though he had gone so insane of late. It is more fun being evil." she smiled forebodingly. "And I brought you here because I want revenge on you."  
"I still don't get it." said Teela. "Why do you want revenge on something that happened so long ago?"  
Evil-Lyn glared at Teela. Since she felt so embarrassed inside that she still had feelings for Prince Adam, she would feel even worse if she actually admitted it. So she kept silent about it, and instead said "Come with me."  
She put her helmet back on, then laid her hands on her enemy's shoulders, and teleported them away. They appeared a few seconds later by the Swamp of Doom, not far from Snake Mountain. Evil-Lyn glared into Teela's eyes with evil contempt, and said "This is where you meet your doom." 

Part 6.  
Prince Adam pushed his way through the crowds outside the Cyberworld café. "Teela?" he called. "Where are you?"  
There was no answer. He jumped up, hoping to catch Teela amongst the excited crowd somewhere, but he saw no sign of her.  
Just then, the owner of the café stepped in front of the large crowd. "It' s a false alarm." he said. "Someone just checked, there's absolutely nothing wrong. Someone must have set the alarm off by accident. You can go back in."  
Slowly, the crowd began to dissolve as the people made their way back into Cyberworld. Adam looked out for Teela as the crowd cleared….. but she was nowhere to be seen. "Blast it, where's she got to?" he muttered. After the last of the people in the crowd had gone back in, Adam scanned the street for her. But there was no sign of Teela.  
He went back into Cyberworld. Perhaps she had never got the chance to come out. But she was not at the table where they had been sitting. He went up the stairs to the top floor….. no sign of her. He looked onto all the computers, where people were conversing with others all over Eternia on the electronic communication systems….. but Teela was nowhere to be seen. He went back to ask the owner if he had seen her anywhere.  
But just then, a young man rushed up to Adam. "Your highness!" he shouted. "Are you looking for Teela?"  
"Yeah, but I can't find her. Have you seen her anywhere?"  
"I just caught a glimpse of her amongst all the chaos when we evacuated. This really strange-looking woman wearing all this exotic jewellery came up to her. She was sexy, I gotta say, but she looked really weird, and wore this black and purple helmet. She seemed to sort of, trap Teela somehow….. then she just teleported them away!"  
Damn, Adam thought. Just when he was convinced he was going to have an entirely peaceful day, evil had to strike. "Thanks very much." he said. "The woman you describe has to be Evil-Lyn, who works for Skeletor. I'll let He-Man know right away, so he can rescue her!"  
"Glad to be of help, your majesty." said the young man. "Good luck!" Adam departed from Cyberworld. He went out into the street, and took one last glance at the exquisite towers that surrounded him. He was badly frustrated that he was going to have to fight, just when he was taking his chance to seduce Teela and take things a step further. But nevertheless, what must be done must be done. Annoyed, he left the street, entered the palace gardens, found a small spot within the bushes where no-one could see him, pulled out his magic sword, and shouted:  
  
"BY THE….."  
  
Then he changed his mind, stopped, and put the sword back into its sheath. What was the point of changing into He-Man to carry out this task? He had been thinking earlier about how tired he was of He-Man getting all the credit, and of course, if Teela was rescued by He-Man for the millionth time, she would only ask why Prince Adam couldn't have come. So this time, Prince Adam WOULD come. Even though he was not as strong as he was as He-Man, he sure wasn't as weak as people thought. He remembered the way he had beaten up all those Horde Troopers in Etheria in the form of Adam….. so he couldn't be that weak. And wouldn't Teela be impressed to see Adam coming to save her, and fight Evil-Lyn!  
Adam instantly went to the vehicle bay, leapt on the Road Ripper, revved it up, then went zooming out of the palace grounds and through the streets of Eternos, headed to Snake Mountain to rescue Teela. 

Part 7.  
Evil-Lyn spread out her arms as she looked out over the Swamp of Doom. Beams of magic shot from her fingertips.  
"What are you trying to do?" asked Teela, as the murky waters of the swamp bubbled.  
"I am using my magic to summon the most dangerous demons from the deep." Evil-Lyn said. "And I shall watch as they make a meal of you….. just like you deserve!" she glanced over at Teela, and gave her a menacing crimson smile.  
Teela watched in horror as the waters went wild, and a dark, sinister shape seemed to arise from them…..  
But what was the point in being scared. Why not just kick ass! She leapt into the air, and came down with a swift air kick, smashing Evil-Lyn in the face and knocking her to the ground. She lost her concentration, and her magic beams vanished, and the waters calmed down as the sinister shape sank. Before Evil-Lyn could get up, Teela leapt on top of her and grabbed her by the throat.  
"This is not fucking good enough!" she said, angrily. "I don't understand this. What is the point of trying to get revenge on me?! Why do this over something that happened _two fucking_ years ago. What the fuck are you playing at?!"  
Evil-Lyn almost choked under Teela's firm grip on her throat, so Teela loosened her grip and demanded "Answer me! I am not accepting shit like this!"  
"I….. hate….. you." Evil-Lyn stammered.  
"Yeah, I know that, you always have. Just like I've always hated you, but why does that give you this thirst for revenge?"  
"It's not….. just….. that! You are a bitch, Teela! The way you stole Adam 's attention from me! You were such an arrogant slag….. I hate you!!!" "So why do you want revenge?! Do you still like Adam or something?!" This time Evil-Lyn was not going to cover up. She felt so deeply mad at Teela, her hate for her stronger than ever….. she jumped up and thrust her face into Teela's, and shouted "Of course I still fucking do!!! Don't ask me why, I don't know, but something within me makes me love him! And I must have revenge on you!!!"  
  
Meanwhile, Prince Adam was speeding rapidly towards Snake Mountain in the Road Ripper. The distant shape of the mountain came into sight….. but then he heard the sound of shouting from not far off. He slammed on the Road Ripper's brakes, and the vehicle ground to a halt.  
He listened carefully to the sound. It was the sound of female voices, arguing violently. And even though he couldn't see them, he was pretty sure that one of them was Teela's. He quickly pun the Road Ripper round, and zoomed in the direction of the voices.  
Eventually he approached the Swamp of Doom, and his suspicions were confirmed….. Evil-Lyn and Teela were arguing violently. But what could it be about? He was about to leap straight to the rescue….. but then he caught the end of what Evil-Lyn was saying….. "I love him, but I don't know why….. but I must have my revenge!"  
This sounded pretty curious. Who did Evil-Lyn love? And why would who she loved make her want to capture Teela? Backing the Road Ripper away slightly, Adam listened carefully to their argument. Clearly neither of them had seen him yet.  
"How can you still love him?!" Teela shouted. "I don't understand! You're the complete opposite of one another! He's young and innocent, while you're a psychotic evil sorceress! He isn't even a warrior! Prince Adam could never be right for you!"  
This came as an instant shock to Adam. Evil-Lyn….. still loved him? That was the reason why she had lashed out at Queen Marlena, he remembered, and it was why she had hated Teela so much. But he had thought that was all in the past! The way she had acted around Skeletor had always seemed to indicate that there was something between the two….. how could she still love him, then? They couldn't be more different!  
"I don't know why I still love him….. I know we couldn't be more different….. but I just do! It's ridiculous, but I can't help it! I'm not expecting to ever get him for myself or anything….. I just must have revenge on you!"  
"Why did you love him in the first place, anyway?" asked Teela. "Even back then, I never thought you would be right together!"  
"I never told you, Teela." Evil-Lyn said, stepping closer to her enemy. "There are things about the Prince that no-one realises. He is not the wimp you always thought he was….. that's partially why I was so annoyed at how rude you were to him. I thought at one point that he'd love me….. after that whole night we spent together, talking endlessly….."  
"What do you mean? When did you and Adam ever spend a night together?" "Before you go biting my head off again, we didn't spend it together sexually. But he told me things that he'd clearly never told anyone else….. about his love of adventure, his desire to do battle….. call this a wimp?" "Damn it, I don't believe you." said Teela. "You're just saying that so I' ll get the idea that Adam had some feelings for you."  
"Alright then." Evil-Lyn said, pulling out her crystal ball, "I'll show you."  
Adam watched from his distance as his own face appeared in Evil-Lyn's crystal ball. The memory of the night he had spent talking to Evil-Lyn all came back to him as he watched. The image of him in the crystal ball was saying:  
"I've never really told anyone this….. but although I haven't trained as a warrior yet, I sure will sometime….. because I'd love to be a warrior. Get the chance to have some adventure, prove my bravery….. people like my father think I have no ambition. But I damn well do….. and I'm gonna set out to achieve it soon!"  
He watched the amazement on Teela's face as she watched this, and when she saw the image of Evil-Lyn appear in the ball, her eyes fixed on Adam in admiration. And Adam smiled to himself. Now Teela had seen the side of him that he had been forced to hide from her. Perhaps this would spark off suspicion in her mind that he was really He-Man…..? He really hoped it would, as he was itching to tell her his secret. And when he sprang to the rescue, he would deliberately act like he would if he was in the form of He-Man. That should get Teela suspecting something. He would deliberately try to give away his secret without actually telling her, as he could not keep it any longer.  
"By the Elders, I've never seen Adam like that before!" Teela was saying. "How can I never have noticed that? He must have some hidden bravery after all….. so if he has such ambitions, why does he waste his time lazing about?"  
"I do not know." said Evil-Lyn. "But once I have disposed of you, I shall find Adam, and find why he seems to suppress these ambitions so much. But one thing's clear….. he must have loved me a bit. If he told me all those things that he'd never told you."  
Adam leapt up from the Road Ripper, and sprang towards the two women, making his presence known at last. "I told you those things not because I loved you," he declared, "but because at the time, you were my friend….. and I would have told Teela that too if I had ever got the chance to speak to her privately!"  
Evil-Lyn and Teela turned in surprise to face Adam.  
"Adam!" Teela exclaimed. "I never expected you to come!"  
"Well I have come…" he said, "and now's my chance to prove that I am no wimp! Let her go at once, Evil-Lyn!"  
Evil-Lyn stared at Adam in amazement. "What is it with you, Adam? You're turning me on….. and I know I'm gonna sound stupid but I just gotta admit it! What's with these personality changes?! Why do you appear such a slob?! And how can you love Teela?"  
"Now listen, Evil-Lyn….." said Adam, "I'm damn well flattered that you still feel this way about me. But there's no way that I could ever feel the same about you! Don't ask me why, nature just made me so that I would love Teela! Now leave here at once!" he flung himself at her, and threw a punch to hit her in the face…..  
But Evil-Lyn just managed to counter his attack with a sudden burst of magic, sending him flying back. As he landed, a magical coil of light appeared in mid-air and wrapped itself around him, trapping him tightly. She then threw another at Teela, who was also bound by the coil of light. "Now I have you both in my grasp!" laughed Evil-Lyn. "Later on, I will return….. and I will find out your secrets, Prince Adam! And I shall have my final revenge on you, Teela! But first I must capture the other person who mistreated me….. Queen Marlena!"  
"You'll leave mother alone!" said Adam. "She refused to force me to have you because she believed in the rights of freedom….. not because she hated you! And you dare do anything to her, and you'll pay for it!" he scowled at her angrily.  
"Oh, I can't wait to see what you do!" said Evil-Lyn. "For now…..  
goodbye!" she spread out her arms, and teleported herself away.  
"She's gone to hurt my mother." said Adam. "But she's never gonna get away with it! Not with me around!"  
"But….. Adam….." said Teela softly.  
Adam calmed down, and stared into her beautiful eyes. "Yes, Teela?"  
"You suddenly seem so….. brave. I never knew you had it in you! Why do you waste so much time? Why do you always run at the first signs of danger?"  
Adam really wanted to tell her the real truth. "I….. there's something that….. prevents me."  
"What prevents you? Are you just not brave enough? Well you can be….. especially going by the way you are today! Why don't you just try a little more….."  
"I….. you see….. I….." he struggled to let the words out. But could he? He couldn't, surely. What would the Sorceress do if he did?! Would she take the power of Grayskull from him, since he had told her his secret?! Yet even if she did, why shouldn't he tell Teela? It's not like she would go and tell everyone about it. It was all to do with those damn Elders' ridiculous ideas about 'only two people may be told about the secret, and to tell anyone else is to abuse the power of Grayskull'. But why had they made that rule?! The first person to be told about the secret was Man-At-Arms, who had known beforehand anyway, and Adam had planned for the other person he told to be Teela….. but the Elders had refused to allow him, as it would mean that he'd have to tell her that The Sorceress was her mother, which was forbidden. But he was bursting to tell Teela! He might end up doing so without thinking!  
"You've proved to me that you can still be brave, Adam." Teela said. "I'm guessing that you came to rescue me today because of your love for me….. and I respect you for that. If you used this bravery more often, then maybe you could be more like He-Man!" then she stopped, and looked at him more closely. "Actually….." she said, "something about you today makes you seem….. very like He-Man."  
Adam looked deeper into her eyes. "I AM He….. er….. braver than you thought." He just couldn't tell her. The risks were too great. But she seemed as though she could start suspecting any second now.  
"I'm sure you could be a real hero if you tried, Adam….." Teela said. Struggling with the magic bonds, Adam shuffled closer to Teela, held his face right up to hers, and softly whispered….. "I love you." 

Part 8.  
Evil-Lyn materialised in a secluded spot just by the railings of the Palace gardens. She would not bother simply trying to sneak in this time. Her powerful determination to complete her revenge meant that she didn't care if she was seen- she would just fight her way through.  
Using all her strength, she leapt over the railings and into the gardens, and ran towards the palace. At the palace gates, she simply rushed past the guards and into the palace.  
As she ran down the corridors, she heard rapid footsteps behind her. She spun round to see three of the Royal guards after her, so she just took one huge spin over the ground, and kicked out as she spun, knocking them all over. Spotting a maidservant approaching, she leapt towards her and shot a stun beam at her. The maidservant fell back, and Evil-Lyn demanded: "Where is the Queen? You shall tell me!"  
"She's….. up on the balcony….." the maidservant stammered. Evil-Lyn instantly rushed to the nearest lift, stepped inside and took it up. She emerged to see Queen Marlena looking out over the city of Eternos, and leapt straight behind her.  
Sensing an evil presence, Queen Marlena turned around.  
"Evelyn!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
"How many times do I have to tell you….. my name is no longer Evelyn, but Evil-Lyn!"  
"Why have you come?!"  
"You shall see!" Evil-Lyn replied, and before Marlena could do anything else, Evil-Lyn teleported them both away.  
  
Adam and Teela lay by the swamp, still bound by Evil-Lyn's magic coils, but no longer struggling. Instead, they were engaged in deep conversation. "That's always the way it's been, Teela." Adam was saying. "I know I've never admitted it before, but I really love you- it's not just that you're beautiful, it's everything about the way you are- your skills, your courage, and all the good things you've done for me. You are to me what He-Man is to you- and I've loved you for an amazingly long time. And the whole time I've been itching to tell you."  
Teela stared back at Adam's loving gaze. This was the first time a man had ever confessed passionate love to her in this way. She began to feel even more guilty about the times that she'd bossed him about- but that clearly didn't matter to him at all. He obviously loved her with all his heart. But did she feel the same? She could tell she felt some kind of attraction to him….. but she had always felt that He-Man was the right one for her. Was Adam as good as He-Man?  
"Adam….." she said, "you're definitely….. one of the best friends I've ever had."  
"But you don't love me, do you?" Adam replied. "You prefer He-Man, don't you?"  
"Well….. I can't deny that I love He-Man a lot, but….. it's not exactly that I don't….. feel anything for you, Adam, you see….."  
"Why don't you just forget about He-Man? He has loads of women lusting after him!"  
"I would, it's just….. I sort of get the idea that He-Man loves me too. Remember that battle at Darksmoke a while back, when Skeletor tricked Granamyr into abdicating?"  
"Yes, at the ceremony. Sure I remember."  
"He-Man said to me then that me and him made the perfect team….. or something like that. If he sees me as a good sidekick, then….. perhaps I'd be the right one for him. And it's not just that he likes me as a fighting partner….. I can just see something in his eyes sometimes. I know he must love me in some way….."  
  
Adam was just about to reveal his secret again. This would be just the perfect time to do so….. yet how could he? He had promised never to abuse the power of Grayskull, and to tell someone his secret would be to do exactly that! So if he told Teela, he would risk losing his power as He-Man….. but he had to tell her! He just had to!  
"Don't feel so down, Adam….. I mean, there's obviously a lot more I need to know about you, with this bravery of yours….. you've shown me now that you must have warrior potential….."  
Just then, she was interrupted by a flash of light, from which emerged Evil-Lyn….. grasping Queen Marlena in her clutches.  
"Let my mother go!" Adam screamed.  
"I'm afraid not!" laughed Evil-Lyn.  
"Why have you captured me?" Queen Marlena asked her. "And why have you captured Teela and my son?!"  
"It's all for revenge, old friend." she said schemingly.  
"It's ridiculous," Teela shouted, "she's trying to get revenge on what happened two years ago, when she was in love with Adam and tried to make you force him to have her. She still loves Adam, you see, and she's enacted this ridiculous plan for revenge!"  
"Let us go!" demanded Marlena. "What's the point of getting revenge for something that happened so long ago?! Even if you DO still love Adam! If Adam didn't love you, that's just the way he's made- and I didn't force him to have you because I didn't want to impose anything on him! Now just let us go!"  
"Love is the most powerful emotion that exists….." said Evil-Lyn, "and being in love drives everyone to madness at some time….. and it's driven me so crazy that I feel like killing you all!"  
"What do you want to kill Prince Adam for?" shouted Teela. "He's the one you love, isn't he?"  
Evil-Lyn knew she could always use a mind-spell to take control of Adam's mind….. but even if she did, her romance with Skeletor would only get in the way. So she knew she was better off letting him die. "If I can't have him, he must die!" she laughed.  
"If you wanna do anything to my son….." said Queen Marlena, "…you're gonna have to deal with me first!" And with one might burst of strength, she broke free from Evil-Lyn's clutches, then threw out a karate chop, knocking her to the ground.  
"Mother….." Adam said in surprise, "this isn't like you at all!!! How did you….."  
"I learned judo before I became an astronaut!" Marlena smiled. "Now, if I can just injure her a little more seriously….." she threw out one swift kick at Evil-Lyn's body, sending her spinning along the rocky ground, "her magic will wear off, and you two can be free and can kick her ass!"  
"She's right!" said Adam, as the magic coils wrapping him and Teela quickly faded away. The two of them leapt to their feet. "Thanks mum!" said Adam. "I never knew you had it in you!" said Teela in surprise.  
"I've had it in me since I was sixteen-" said Marlena, "now let's quit the chatter and just kick her butt!"  
The three of them leapt forward at Evil-Lyn, and Adam thrust himself at her as she picked herself up, punching her in the face.  
"I feel much braver with you around, mum!" he said, just to keep his secret away from her.  
"You're brave anyway, Adam!" said Marlena, having been secretly aware of Adam's secret identity for a long time! Teela then threw herself through the air, coming down on Evil-Lyn with a air kick, and Marlena knocked Evil-Lyn back with a swift high kick.  
Evil-Lyn summoned all her strength and magic powers, and quickly vanished into thin air. She emerged seconds later on the other side of the swamp. Adam, Teela, and Marlena spun round, ready to dash around to the other side, but before they had the chance, Evil-Lyn spread her arms over the swamp, and the waters began to bubble. As they became more intense and fierce, a dark, grotesque shape arose from the murky depths. As it rose higher and higher, Adam, Teela and Marlena could see that it was a huge demon, with red eyes and blazing fangs, glaring down on them with bloodthirst.  
As the demon reached out its claws to seize Prince Adam, Evil-Lyn said "Goodbye, 'heroes'". I have my revenge at last!" 

Part 9.  
The demon of the swamp thrust its giant claws towards Adam. He backed off- but the demon reached out further. Marlena and Teela rushed forwards to save him- but then the demon clasped its claws round all three of them, ready to crush the life from them.  
Evil-Lyn watched in triumph as the beast seized its preys. There could be no fate more fitting for them. At last she had had her revenge!  
Just then there was a voice shouting "Stop! Let them go!"  
Evil-Lyn spun around to see Tri-Clops and Fang-Man, standing on the edge of the swamp.  
"Are you out of your mind?" asked Evil-Lyn. "Isn't this a most fitting end for these heroic fools?"  
"I don't give a damn what happens to Teela," said Tri-Clops, "but don't you realise how important the other two are? They're Royals- so we can hold them to ransom! If we say we'll only free them if Randor hands Eternia over to Skeletor, we'll win in no time!"  
"But why not just kill them?"  
"Because then all we could do would be attack the palace," said Fang-Man, "and then the warriors would fend us off! Holding them to ransom would be far more effective!"  
Evil-Lyn took another glance at the demon as it picked up all three of her enemies, who struggled hopelessly against its grasp. Giving the situation some more thought, she realised that Tri-Clops and Fang-Man were right. She threw out a magic beam from the palm of her hand, it spread over the demon's body and it dropped its preys. Then she slowly drew the demon back with her magic, and threw out her force field to trap it, and prevent it from causing any more damage.  
"What are you doing here, now?" Evil-Lyn asked Tri-Clops and Fang-Man.  
"We just happened to be heading this way." Tri-Clops told her. "I was passing Fang-Man's cave, and we just thought we'd go on a stroll."  
"He's been telling me all about Skeletor's current state." said Fang-Man.  
"I'm glad I haven't fought for Skeletor since the Darksmoke battle. He's obviously been getting worse and worse. How did you get hold of these heroic fools, anyway?"  
Evil-Lyn struggled to find a way of answering. She did not want to admit that she still loved Adam. Even though Tri-Clops had never laughed at her for it, she would still feel embarrassed- and anyway, what would Fang-Man think? He had never even known about Evil-Lyn's past.  
"I just came across them in Eternos." she said. "I just thought I'd dispose of them myself, since there's no chance that Skeletor can."  
"Well let's not kill them….. yet!" said Tri-Clops. "Just take them to Snake Mountain and issue a ransom demand to King Randor!"  
But just then, Adam, Marlena and Teela picked themselves up off the ground.  
"We're not gonna be that easy to capture!" said Teela. "You'll have to fight us first!"  
"Pitifully easy!" laughed Fang-Man. "You'll never stand a chance against our powers….. especially with this demon on our side!" he turned to Evil-Lyn. "You can release the demon from your force field now! We'll have them captured in no time!"  
"Fine….." said Evil-Lyn, "but if it tries to kill them, I must trap it again!" she released the demon from her force field, it cried out in rage and Evil-Lyn ordered "Seize those fools! But do not kill them!" she wasn't sure if it understood her, but it raged forward anyway, as her three enemies scattered themselves.  
Tri-Clops drew his sword, then ran over to the other side of the swamp, and seized hold of Marlena, holding his sword right up to her face. "Let her go!" shouted Teela, but just then Fang-Man ran up to her and seized hold of her, digging his sharp claws into her arms.  
At the same time, the demon reached one of its huge legs out from the murky depths of the swamp, and stepped out onto the ground. It had its eyes set on Prince Adam, and began to advance upon him.  
Adam had no choice. There was no way he could defeat this gigantic creature in the form of Adam. And even if he tried to rescue his mother and Teela from Tri-Clops and Fang-Man, he was just not strong enough in this form to defeat them. This was no task for him….. it was a task for He-Man. He quickly turned and ran from the monster. As he ran, he heard Teela saying "I don't believe it! He seemed so brave before and now he's running….. how could he endanger us like this?"  
He heard his mother reply with "Don't worry, Teela….. I'm sure he has only run to get help."  
Adam felt really bad about appearing to run from danger, only just after proving some of his hidden bravery to Teela, but he knew he was only doing what had to be done. Once he was far enough from the battle, and was completely out of sight on the deserted wasteland, he drew his power sword, held it high above his head, and shouted:  
  
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL…..  
I HAVE THE POWER!"  
  
The familiar flash of light emerged from the sword, bathing his whole body and transforming him into He-Man, mightiest man in the universe.  
  
Back by the swamp, Teela and Marlena were still struggling against Fang-Man and Tri-Clops' clutches. The monster moved onwards….. in pursuit of Adam. "Adam will never stand a chance!" exclaimed Teela.  
"Fear not, Teela." said Marlena, secretly knowing what Adam had gone to do. "I'm sure he will get help before any damage can be done!"  
As Tri-Clops and Fang-Man fought to keep the struggling women in their clutches, they noticed that Evil-Lyn was just sitting over at the other side of the swamp, staring into her crystal ball.  
"What are you doing, Evil-Lyn?" asked Fang-Man. "Why don't you help us get hold of Adam?"  
Evil-Lyn seemed oblivious to what Fang-Man was saying. She was just staring straight into the crystal ball, and muttering things, that were just vaguely distinguishable from the other end of the swamp as "Now you meet your doom….. I have my revenge….." and as Fang-Man and Tri-Clops gazed over at Evil-Lyn, they saw that she was staring at an image of Prince Adam. "Why are you watching Prince Adam in your ball?" said Tri-Clops. "What revenge?!"  
Tri-Clops' words brought Evil-Lyn back to reality, and she jumped and said "Oh….. nothing, Tri-Clops."  
"Ha! She still loves Prince Adam!" Teela called.  
"No!" called Evil-Lyn, embarrassed. "Don't listen to what they say. They lie!"  
"What's this?!" said Fang-Man, in mocking tones, "Evil-Lyn? Loves Prince Adam?!"  
"Don't laugh at her!" said Tri-Clops, kicking Fang-Man in the ribs. Then he looked across the swamp at Evil-Lyn. "That isn't why you captured him is it? Because you still love Adam?"  
"Be quiet, Tri-Clops!" Evil-Lyn shouted. "Of course it isn't!"  
"Dammit, forget about the captives!" laughed Fang-Man, letting Teela go and rushing to the other side of the swamp. "I wanna hear all about this- tell me everything, Evil-Lyn!"   
Quickly, Tri-Clops reached over and seized Teela, then he rushed over to the other side, struggling to keep hold of both of them. "Don't laugh at her, Fang-Man!" he shouted.  
"Tell us everything! What have you been getting up to with that wimp?" mocked Fang-Man.  
Evil-Lyn was struck with embarrassment. Her secret was out in the open! And no doubt Fang-Man would go and tell Skeletor about it. She could never live it down! Nervously, she stammered "It's… you see….."  
But just then, the demon from the swamp came running towards them, screaming in terror. And following closely behind it was the mighty, muscular figure of He-Man!  
"YES!!!" shouted Teela. "He-Man has arrived! Go for it, He-Man!"  
Pursued by He-Man, the demon leapt back into the swamp, splashing its murky waters about wildly. Then He-Man shouted to the evil warriors "You can give up now! You'll stand no chance against me!"  
But just then, the monster seized Teela from Tri-Clops' clutches, and squeezed her tight in its claws.  
Evil-Lyn looked up, and smiled. Her secret may be out….. but at least Teela was still going to get the fate she deserved…..  


Part 10.  
Teela struggled with all her might as the demon wrapped its claws around her. But she knew she was no match for it on her own…..  
But she looked down at the edge of the swamp, and smiled to herself.  
He-Man took one glance at the colossal creature, then took one mighty leap towards it, landing on top of its claw. The beast looked down on He-Man, bared its fangs, and reached its head down to bite him. But he dodged out of its way, and struck its face with his mighty fist. The demon's head fell back in pain, and it loosened its grip on Teela. He-Man grasped onto her shoulders, and yanked her out of its grasp, then, holding her in his arms, he leapt back down to the ground.  
"Thank you, He-Man!" she said as he landed. "You're my hero!"  
"Just wait there!" He-Man said, smiling at her as he laid her gently on the ground. "I'll finish off this monster!"  
  
Evil-Lyn, Fang-Man and Tri-Clops had failed to notice He-Man's attack on the demon- Evil-Lyn was desperately trying to explain the whole situation to Tri-Clops and Fang-Man, who still mocked her for loving Prince Adam. Evil-Lyn was showing them the image in her crystal ball of Adam telling her all about his hidden bravery.  
"I never could imagine Prince Adam being like that." said Tri-Clops. "Are you sure it wasn't just an act?"  
"Positive." said Evil-Lyn. "I mean, I wasn't evil then….. he was honest, I 'm sure!"  
Fang-Man just laughed. "Who cares if he was honest or not? It still means you're in love with a blonde goody-two-shoes idiot!"  
"You say one more thing, Fang-Man….." said Evil-Lyn, both embarrassed and angry.  
Tri-Clops punched Fang-Man lightly on the arm. "Don't laugh at her!" he said.  
Just then, the three villains were interrupted by the sound of an immense, monstrous scream. They looked up to see the swamp demon falling back after a punch from He-Man. Then He-Man took hold of its leg, and lifted it high above his head.  
"You three had better watch out!" he said, and he threw the demon's body towards them. The evil warriors shot up in terror and ran, but as the creature landed, the vibration on the ground knocked them off their feet and they fell violently forward. And Evil-Lyn was the most unfortunate of the three….. with the creature's massive shoulder landing right on top of her.   
  
Evil-Lyn, badly hurt, began to edge her way from underneath the creature. But as she looked up at He-Man as he ran towards Tri-Clops and Fang-Man, she noticed something strange. She took a glance at the image of Prince Adam in her crystal ball. Then she looked back up at He-Man.  
There was definitely some resemblance. They didn't look exactly the same….. He-Man's face was much broader….. but there was definitely something there. Could they be related? Then it occurred to her that she had never seen them both around at the same time…..  
  
He-Man ran towards Tri-Clops and Fang-Man. "I don't suppose you want to try a fight to the finish, do you?" he taunted. He-Man looked down on his opponents. Tri-Clops and Fang-Man were backing off from him. They knew they stood no chance against a man who could defeat a colossal swamp monster.  
"We cannot fight you." Tri-Clops admitted. "To just run away would be foolish, so we shall leave simply because we realise we are not strong enough. But some day….. even if Skeletor cannot do it….. we will find some way to beat you. Now we shall leave."  
They turned to see Evil-Lyn as she edged out from underneath the demon's body. They reached forward, and tried to pull her out….. but the weight of the demon was too heavy. She was stuck beneath it.  
  
And as they pulled her, Evil-Lyn felt deep embarrassment. She had attempted to avenge the way she had been treated back in her days at the palace….. but it had all gone wrong. And now Fang-Man knew her secret, and no doubt he would spread it around the whole of Snake Mountain. She would be the laughing stock of the place. And because of this, her feelings for Prince Adam were now completely non-existent. She now felt ridiculous for having loved him. What had come over her to go to these lengths because she loved the Prince? But her feelings for him were dead now….. she wanted to forget she had ever known him. She would leave all that fuss over him in the past, and never again would attempt revenge on Teela or Marlena. As Fang-Man and Tri-Clops pulled, it became clear that neither of them were strong enough to get her out. But just then, a cloud of smoke formed before them, and out of it stepped Skeletor, the Lord of Destruction. Oh no, she thought, now he'll find out about all this…..  
But Skeletor just stepped towards them and said, in surprisingly calm tones "I sensed you were in danger, my darling. And I see it was all He-Man's doing. But I shall save you." he fired a light blast from his havoc staff at the creature, and slowly forced its body back towards the swamp, until it sank once again into the murky waters.  
Skeletor helped Evil-Lyn to her feet. Quickly, she made the image of Adam vanish from the crystal ball before Skeletor could notice it. Just then, He-Man walked up to them.  
"Another of your assistant's schemes foiled, Skeletor! With the way you're going at the moment, you stand less chance than ever before!"  
"Not quite so, He-Man." the hooded warlord said. "I admit that my plans have been rash and badly planned of late….. but I have rested and had time to think, and now I have better plans. I shall not stay to fight you….. but you shall hear from me again soon."  
Evil-Lyn could see that Skeletor's tones were much calmer than they had been in ages. He had relaxed at last, and recovered from his madness. He was Skeletor of old again, the Skeletor she had always loved.  
Loved….. she focused her mind solely on that word as she reached up the sleeve of his robe, to feel his delicate, blue skin that she had always adored. Prince Adam meant nothing to her. Skeletor was the ONLY one for her. He was a GOD.  
As Skeletor used his magic to teleport himself, Evil-Lyn, Fang-Man and Tri-Clops back to Snake Mountain, Evil-Lyn knew she would forget about all the ridiculous and pointless chaos she had caused because of her pathetic crush on Prince Adam that had been so stupidly resurrected by some infernal force. She would go back to the life she had always loved in Snake Mountain, as Skeletor's trusted second-in-command. But hopefully, something good would have come out of this whole misadventure after all. Now that she had noticed this strange resemblance between Adam and He-Man….. now to find out the true connection between these two.  


Part 11.  
He-Man, Teela, and Marlena watched as Skeletor and his minions teleported away.  
"Do you think he will come up with a better scheme, He-Man?" Teela asked. "I don't know." He-Man replied. "Skeletor sure did seem calmer then than I 've seen him for a while. We'll just have to keep a lookout, and remember that as long as we remain powerful, we can always stop him!"  
Teela smiled at He-Man. She recalled the way that Prince Adam had declared true love to her before….. she wished that she could return it, but as she set her eyes on this tall, handsome and muscle-bound champion, she was consumed by love. She could feel that he was the one for her….. and as she gazed into his brown eyes she could sense passion in them….. his gaze looked loving and tender. She was sure that he had some feeling for her, too….. but would he ever admit it?  
  
As He-Man looked at Teela, he gazed at her passionately, trying deliberately to indicate his love for her. She seemed to be gazing at him in just the same way. The feeling was obviously mutual….. but really, he wanted her to love Adam. He had to tell her his secret….. he just had to! Surely she must suspect something, since Adam had gone and then He-Man had come instantly! He knew he had to deliberately try to hint at his double identity. At least that wouldn't be telling, so it wouldn't be considered to be abusing the power of Grayskull.  
"I see Adam showed some hidden courage today!" he said. "I always knew he had it in him!"  
"Well….. I'd never guessed it, but I suppose he does. I really was surprised to see him try to fight….. but the image in Evil-Lyn's crystal ball showed him saying all this about having a thirst for adventure….. he obviously has these secret ambitions, but never shows them! I wonder why?" "Well, you never know." said He-Man, stepping closer to Teela. "Perhaps he shows them much more often than you think."  
Just then he heard a faint, quiet laugh from nearby. He took a quick glance to his right, and saw that Queen Marlena was watching them, with a faint smile on her face. It was just as if she could tell that He-Man was trying to hint to Teela.  
Teela failed to notice Marlena's amusement, her mind engrossed in her love for He-Man. She stepped closer to him, and said "You know, He-Man….. I was taken aback by Adam's bravery today….. he just seemed so much like….. you." He-Man smiled to himself. She was finally getting it!  
"But….. hey, wait a minute? Where is the Prince? Why did he seem so brave all of a sudden? Why….." she took one straight, deep glance into He-Man's face, and gasped…..  
"What's up, Teela?" He-Man smiled.  
Teela turned away from him. "Nothing….. I- I just….. thought something for a second, but no, it couldn't be. It was- it was a ridiculous thought- no, forget about it."  
He-Man felt himself consumed by ecstasy. He shook his fist in triumph. She had almost got it! "Well, I'd better go now." he announced. "But I'll make sure that Prince Adam gets back to you as soon as I've gone!"  
"Er….. yes," said Teela, "er….. okay." she watched him curiously as he walked away. And He-Man felt like this was the most triumphant moment of his life! She was finally suspecting! He walked off until he was out of sight, then he held his sword aloft, said "Let the Power Return!" and changed back to Adam. Then he instantly returned to Teela and Marlena. "Hey, sounds like a tough battle!" Adam said. "It's lucky that He-Man threw that beast over at those evil warriors! I wonder if Skeletor's next scheme will be as bad as he says?"  
"But, Adam….." said Teela, "er….. how did you know about that?"  
"He-Man told me!" he said, half-sarcastically.  
Teela quickly leapt onto the Road Ripper, almost in panic. "We'd….. er, better get back!" she said, "I'm, er….. starting to think stupid things, I need a rest!" and she quickly revved up the engine and zoomed off.  
As Adam and Marlena prepared to follow her, Adam said "You okay, mother? You showed some great battle tactics today!"  
"And so did you, Adam!" she smiled. Then she winked at him. "Teela will be alright soon….." she said.  
Adam could tell that Marlena knew just what was on his mind. And now that Teela seemed to be finally suspecting something, he was bursting to tell her! He would go to Castle Grayskull straight afterwards and ask The Sorceress if he could tell Teela his secret. He would explain that she had been suspecting. After all, why should Teela not know?  
  
Later on, Adam approached the throne of Grayskull, where the beautiful Sorceress sat. "Sorceress….." he began, "I know I've asked you this before….. but can I tell Teela my secret now? It's just that….. she's starting to suspect that I'm He-Man. I could tell by the way she was acting today, and I mean….. you know I've always loved her. Isn't it the right time for me to tell her?"  
The Sorceress looked down on him sympathetically. "I'm afraid the time has not yet come." she said.  
Adam looked down, disappointed. "But why?" he said. "I've been told so many times that Teela must not know my secret….. but why? I know her so well that there's no reason why she shouldn't, and if she knew she wouldn't tell anyone….. why can't I tell her?"  
The Sorceress walked down the steps towards Adam, and laid her hands on his shoulders. "I understand just how you feel, Adam." she said. "And you are right that Teela knowing your secret would do no harm. But the Elders have always made rules that the amount of people who know the secrets of Grayskull must be kept as limited as possible. And they said when you were granted your powers that only two people outside of Grayskull may know your secret- and that was Man-At-Arms and Orko. They have no views on whether a person should be told just because they can be trusted- they simply say that to tell any person is to abuse the power of Grayskull. And there's no way I can change that."  
Adam looked down, solemnly. "I see." he admitted. "But….. you gotta say it's ridiculous….. and old-fashioned."  
"Maybe so." said the Sorceress. "But please understand that I feel just the same as you. It hurts me that Teela can never know who her mother is, or even who her real father was! But remember that someday, Teela will find be allowed to know your secret….. and all about me….. and she will become the new Sorceress of Grayskull. And hopefully, that day is not far off." Adam looked up at the guardian of Castle Grayskull. "Then I shall eagerly await the day….. but wait- one more thing- can I drop hints?"  
"You would be advised not to. The Elders would still consider it as telling. Maybe once in a while….. but not too heavily. You can only hope that some time Teela will work it out, or accidentally see you transform….. but even if that never happens….. she WILL find out someday."  
"Thank you." said Adam. "I will….. manage. Good journey."  
The Sorceress bade him good journey, then he left. He was disappointed that he had still not been allowed to reveal his secret….. but at least Teela would find out someday. And Adam looked up and reminded himself that at least Teela had suspected that he was He-Man today. And maybe from time to time, she would suspect again….. and maybe eventually work it out. When Adam reached the palace, Teela seemed to have forgotten all about her earlier suspicions. But as the night fell, they spent hours talking alone, about Adam's potential bravery and the bond they shared. Even though Teela still did not quite realise the truth….. there was a feel of love between them, and at least while that lasted, Adam would feel secure. After all, he reminded himself, Love's the greatest thing that we have.  


Part 12.  
In the chamber of Snake Mountain, Evil-Lyn sat in the corner, practising her magic. Tri-Clops walked up to her.  
"Well, today's adventure is one that I'll sure want to forget." she admitted.  
"Don't worry." Tri-Clops smiled. "I'm not laughing about it. And I've told Fang-Man that he'll get a good beating if he dares spill a word to anyone."  
Evil-Lyn smiled back. "Thank you." she said. "I don't know what came over me….. I haven't cared anything for Adam for two years, and then suddenly today, I just felt all that powerful love return….. but I've come through it now. I hope it never comes back….. I'll just have to try and control it if it does."  
"Never mind." said Tri-Clops. "We all go through strange phases now and then. We all do things that we'd normally never imagine ourselves doing. At least there was no major disaster. Anyway, I'm going to the bar again now. You wanna come?"  
"I'd rather stay here and practise my magic, if you don't mind." she replied. "Snake Mountain feels like a comfortable place again, now that Skeletor's calmed down."  
Evil-Lyn and Tri-Clops looked up at the silent form of Skeletor on his bone throne, calmly reading an ancient book. He hadn't heard any of their conversation. He seemed much more calm than he had in ages. Despite all his bellowing at the warriors earlier in the day, his time alone must have helped him to relax and recover his senses. And one thing was clear- he was going to be way more dangerous to Eternia now.  
"Good to see him calm after all this time." said Tri-Clops. "Anyway, I'm off now. See you."  
"Bye." Evil-Lyn said, and Tri-Clops departed. Evil-Lyn looked up at the form of her master, his long, black robe covering the ancient throne. She got up and walked over to him, leaning over the throne and resting her arm on the dark sleeve of his robe.  
"What are you reading, Skeletor?" she asked.  
He finally looked up. "Just a book from the ancients that could help me defeat He-Man. I will be enacting some major plans soon."  
She smiled. "I can't wait to see them." She rested her head against his robe, relieved to be able to find his presence refreshing once again. And in her relaxed state, she gazed into her crystal ball.  
At an image of He-Man. Yes, there was definitely some connection between him and Prince Adam. Her magic could sense it. And if Skeletor was already coming up with some deadly plans….. then the heroic warriors would be pulled apart by what Evil-Lyn had in store for them.  



End file.
